On Friday, August 14, music critic and Bruce Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh passed away at the age of 76.
While the loss was a difficult one for many in the Springsteen fanbase, for the Boss himself, also 76, it was a personal one, and one that also impacted his band, the E Street Band.
© Getty ImagesBruce Springsteen's tribute to Dave Marsh
Taking to his website and social media on Saturday, the "Dancing in the Dark" singer penned: "Here on E Street, the irreplaceable loss of Dave Marsh has us heartbroken."
"My great friend Dave, with his straight out of Detroit attitude, was a true Rock 'n' Roll lifer," he continued. "He was soulful, intelligent, heartfelt, opinionated, bruising and often fantastically argumentative. Watching Jon Landau and Dave drive each other crazy over some arcane piece of music would make my day."
Bruce added: "He wrote the first book about me, Born To Run, and Dave always had my back. He deeply believed in what I was trying to accomplish and his lifetime of support meant the world to me."
Speaking more of the late Marsh's character, the hitmaker wrote: "More than anything else, I admired Dave as a man of conscience and commitment. He lived and stuck by his values come hell or high water. Wherever he is, I hope he's receiving some of the grace, happiness and reward he's brought into my life," concluding with: "God bless you Dave, Bruce Springsteen."
Dave Marsh's death
Jim Rotolo, the host of the Springsteen fan radio station on SiriusXM, The Wild and The Innocent, was the first to break the news. "Some sad news today, E Street Nation," he shared on Facebook.
© Instagram"Bruce Springsteen biographer, SiriusXM host, and my friend Dave Marsh passed away late yesterday at his home in Connecticut. Dave wrote several books about Bruce as part of a remarkable body of work spanning some 25 titles."
He continued: "A longtime rock critic for Creem and Rolling Stone, he was also one of the creators of E Street Radio and hosted Kick Out the Jams on SiriusXM for 19 years. Rest easy, Dave. Thank you for everything, my friend. You will be missed."
© Getty ImagesWho was Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh?
Marsh rose to prominence for his 1979 biography Born to Run, in which he followed Bruce's early years and rise to fame from New Jersey, starting from 1975 onwards. He has also written works on the likes of The Who, The Beatles, Sly and the Family Stone, Cream, etc.
Marsh also worked as an editor for Creem Magazine and Rolling Stone Magazine, later creating not only the E Street Radio channel, but also the SiriusXM radio show Kick Out the Jams.
© Getty ImagesHe is survived by his wife Barbara, with whom he welcomed a daughter named Kristen. Kristen died of a rare form of cancer in 1993 at the age of 21, and in her honor, Marsh and his wife created the Kristen Ann Carr Fund to aid cancer research, specifically sarcoma, and support for families affected by it.
